Shelf mounting



0 United States Patent H 1 3,536,015

[72] lnventor Melvin A. Textoris 2,261,956 1 1/194] Brownlie et al. 248/243 Struthers, Ohio 2,896,794 7/1959 108/109 [21] Appl. No. 789,647 2,963,170 12/1960 l08/106X [22] Filed Dec. 16, 1968 3,269,338 8/1966 108/144 [45] Patented Oct. 27, 1970 3,306,466 2/1967 Liston 211/148 1 Assignee The General Fireproofmg Company FOREIGN PATENTS Y 986,164 3/1965 Great Britain 248/243 184,778 8/1963 Sweden 211/148 358,563 1/1962 Switzerland 211/148 [54] SHELF MOUNTING Primary ExaminerRamon S. Britts 9 Cm 9 Drawing g A rtorneys- Emory L, (jroff and Emory L. Groff,.lr. [52] 0.8.01 108/109, 108/l44,21l/148,2l l/176, 248/243 [51] Int. Cl A47b57/16 57/ A479 57/24 ABSTRACT: A shelving arrangement includes vertical mp 501 Field ofSearch 211/148, Port posts having Openings for receiving the locking tongue of 177; 248/243; log/109 106 a shelf clip. These tongues are inclined downwardly and include hooked end portions which preclude withdrawal when [56] References C'ted inserted and lowered into position. End panels having mating UNITED STATES PATENTS openings may be locked into engagement with the support 1,386,168 8/1921 Erickson 248/243X posts by the same clips.

Patented Oct. 27, 1970 3,536,015

9 MELVIN A.TEXTORIS W Wm Patented Oct. 27, 1970 Sheet 2 of 2 22 19 'mvmon ii-fi MELVLN ATE TQRiS BY gA ORNEY SHELF MOUNTING This invention relates generally to a shelving assembly, and more particularly to a shelf-mounu'ng arrangement of the adjustable and/or knockdown type.

Collapsible or adjustable shelving facilities as such are well known, many devices having been provided to permit adjustable positioning and retention of horizontally disposed shelves between a pair of vertically arranged support posts. By the present invention an improved arrangement is provided comprising a clip member having outwardly projecting means engageable within any selected pair of a plurality of vertically aligned openings provided in a plurality of upright support posts. No tools or extraneous fastening means are required to securely anchor the shelf clip of the instant invention as the specificconstruction of the clip member insures a vertically and laterally stabilized supporting platform for the shelves adapted to be supported thereby. Additionally, the same attaching means provided to mount the present shelf clip may also be utilized to interconnect adjacent vertical support posts and adjacent or intermediate end panels or partitions at the ends of each shelf.

Accordingly, one of the primary objects of the present invention is to provide an improved shelf mounting including a one-piece clip member having a pair of outwardly projecting attaching tongues adapted to be selectively engaged within a pair of openings in a vertical support post.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a shelf mounting including a pair of spaced-apart support posts provided with a plurality of openings, end panels provided with mating openings adjacent the support posts, and clip members having projecting means engaging a pair of aligned openings of said end panel and vertical post and supporting a horizontally disposed shelf thereupon.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a shelf clip including a central web portion having a pair of outwardly and downwardly projecting tongues provided at the en'ds thereof with hook portions and adapted to be inserted within openings provided in spaced-apart, vertical support posts.

'With these and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

The preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view, with portions broken away for clarity, and illustrates a shelf mounting according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the shelf clip of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a partial horizontal sectional view of the shelf mounting shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a partial vertical sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a rear elevation of the shelfclip of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the shelf clip.

FIG. 7 is a front elevation of the shelf clip.

FIG. 8 is a bottom plan of the shelf clip.

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several FIGS. of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings, particularly FIG. 1, the shelving assembly of the present invention will be seen to comprise a plurality of horizontally disposed shelves, generally designated 1, supported between pairs of laterally spaced apart vertical or upright posts 2 and 3 by means of a plurality of shelfclips, generally designated 4..E,ach shelf 1 preferably comprises a planar horizontal deck 5 bounded on its lateral edges by vertical end flanges 6-6 and vertical edge flanges 7-7. As shown most clearly in FIG.4, the vertical end flanges 6 include at their lower edge an inturned flange 8 and it will be understood each of the edge flanges 7 may also be provided with a similar inturned flange. Dependent upon the vertical height of the support posts 2 and 3, any number of horizontally disposed shelves 1 may be mounted between the posts. These posts may comprise angle members such as the support post 2, wherein each post includes a front flange 9 and a normal end flange 10, both of which flanges are provided with a plurality of vertically aligned and equispaced openings 11 for reasons which will become apparent hereinafter. The beaded support post 3 may be used in lieu of or in combination with the angle support posts 2 and comprises an outer bead 12 from which extend a pair of spaced-apart, parallel lips 13-13, which lips each include a plurality of vertically aligned and mating equispaced openings 14.

Cooperating with the support posts 2 and 3 and a plurality of the shelves 1 are a plurality of clip members 4 which serve not only as the supporting and retention means for each of the shelves 1 but also as connection means for laterally or transversely disposed adjacent pairs of support posts. The specific construction of each clip 4 is shown most clearly in FIGS. 2 and 58 wherein it will be seen that the clip 4 is constructed from a unitary piece of material such as sheet metal which is formed to provide a vertical central web 15 having a laterally extending transverse back web 16. The top of the;bac k web extends forwardly to provide a top platform 17 which'overlies the top of the central web 15 and terminates at a top platform stabilizing edge 17a. The bottom of the back web 16 projects forwardly to provide a bottom plate 18 likewise terminating in a bottom plate stabilizing edge 19. As will be seen most clearly in FIG. 6 the stabilizing edges 17a and 19 are disposed in a common vertical plane with the vertical front edge 20 of the central web 15. Projecting outwardly and downwardly from the vertical front edge 20 is an upper tongue 21 adjacent the top platform 17 and a lower tongue 22 adjacent the bottom plate 18. Each of the tongues 21 and 22 are inclined downwardly a substantial degree from the horizontal and each tongue terminates in a downwardly extending hook 21a or 22a. Struck from the top platform 17 is a tab 23 which projects upwardly over the central web 15 in an inclined manner toward the back web 16. .1

During installation of the present invention it will be understood that a pair of the support posts will be positioned adjacent either end flange 6 of the shelf 1. The desired height of the shelf is determined and then one of the clips 4 is attached to each of the vertical support posts by means of the upper and lower tongues 21 and 22 of each clip. It will follow that-the vertically aligned openings 11 and '14 in the two forms of support posts must be of a diameter suificient to permit insertion of the hook tongues 21 and 22. When the tongues have been inserted through the post openings no additional fastening members or manipulation of the clips is required, other than to insure that the hooks 21a'and 22a fully extend through the side of the support posts opposite that of the web 15 of the clip. In this manner the undersurface or locking surface 24 of each tongue will be resting upon the bottom edge of its respeclocking surfaces 24-24 maintaining the vertical front edge 20 of the clip web 15 in full engagement with the juxtaposed surface of its respective support post flange and the downwardly extending hooks 21 a22a serving to preclude a pivotaldisplacement of the clip. In view of the foregoing arrangement it will be appreciated that when a shelf 1 is subsequently placed upon the top platform 17 of a plurality of thusly mounted clips 4 any increased downward force directed through theshelf to the supporting clips will, in fact, only serve to increase the security of these shelf clips. The installation and removal of the shelves 1 is facilitated by the inclination of the tabs 23 which serve as a guide during installation of the shelves when the inturned flanges 8-8 thereof are lowered into position and subsequently further provide a lateral stability to the entire shelving assembly since the vertical flanges 6-6 of the shelves will be rigidly enclosed between the adjacent support on other hand. a I J horizontal level and thus it thickness of a A single vertical stack of shelves may be mounted between two opposed pairs of vertical support posts as described above and additionally, without the necessity of providing any further types of fastenings or components, a plurality of vertical stacks of shelves may be mounted in an end-to-end or front-to-back adjacent manner as shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4. in such an installan'on, the adjacent pairs of posts 2-2 intermediately located in the overall assembly are interlocked as a rigid subassembly by the very same shelf clips 4 used to support their respective shelves 1. As will be seen most clearly in the center of the sectional view of FIG. 4, the tongues 21 and 22 of each clip 4 extend not only through the openings 11 of the juxtaposed vertical support post flange but also through the mating opening 1 1 of the next adjacent support post flange 10. In the situation illustrated in these figures, the shelves 1 in the two adjacent subassemblies are positioned at the same will follow that the respective clips supporting each shelf must likewise be attached to their adjacent support posts at the same level; however, it will be seen that this presents no problem in the case of the intermediate support posts inasmuch as the upper and lower tongues of the two opposed clips 4-4 pass through the same pairs of mating openings 11-11 from their respective opposite sides of the support posts.

Another feature of the assembly of the present invention is the provision of end panels or partitions adjacent the end flanges 6 of each of the shelves 1. The rigid attachement of thesegpanels 25 is achieved by the same shelf clips 4 and it will be understood that these panels are provided with vertically alignedequispaced openings 254 which mate with the spaced apart openings 11 and 14 in the support posts 2 and 3. In view of this arrangement it will follow that the end panels 25 may be secured in position by means of the shelf clips on either side of the angle support posts 2 and may be utilized in the case of the end panel as shown in the left hand portion of FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, or between a pair of vertical support posts as shown in the intermediate panel in these FIGS. Likewise when the beaded post 3 is employed, it will be seen that the end panel 25 is positioned between a pair of parallel spaced-apart lips 13-13 thereof. From the foregoing it will follow that the length of the inclined locking surfaces 24 of the two clip tongues must necessarily be sufficient to accommodate the pair of the support post flanges 10 plus the thickness of an end panel 25 in order to pennit the hooks of these tongues to fully extend through the plurality of mated openings of the plurality of components.

I claim:

1. In a shelving assembly including opposed vertical support 0 posts and intermediate horizontal shelves, said posts having vertically aligned openings, the improvement comprising, clips engageable with said post openings for supporting said shelves, each said clip including, a vertically disposed web having a vertical front edge adapted to abut said posts with the plane of said web normal to the juxtaposed surface of said post, a pair of tongues pro' cting from said front edge and engageable within a pair of said post openings, said tongues projecting from said front edge as an extension of the plane of said web, a planar platform horizontally disposed at the top of said web and laterally extending beyond both sides of said web, a stabilizing edge on said platform providing a straight line vertically aligned with the plane of said web front edge, whereby dual line contact is provided by both said platform edge and said web front edge comprising two edges disposed at right angles to one another to insure stable attachment of said clip to said posts, shelf engaging means provided on the upper surface of said platform, and the lower surfaces of said shelves are supported upon said clip platforms.

2. A shelving assembly according to claim 1, wherein each said tongue-includes a locking portion extending from said web front edge in a downwardly inclined direction, and a hook portion extending downwardly from the distal end of said locking portion.

3. A shelving assembly according to claim 1, wherein said shelf engaging means comprises a tab extending upwardly from the plane of said ilatform.

shelving assem ly according to claim 3, wherein said tab is inclined away from said tongues.

5. A shelving assembly according to claim 1, including a horizontal bottom plate below said web having a stabilizing edge coplanar with said web and platform edges.

6. A shelving assembly according to claim I, wherein at least one of said support posts includes a bead having a pair of outwardly extending spaced-apart parallel lips and said post openings extend through both said lips in opposed relationship.

7. A shelving assembly according to claim 6, including a vertical partition having openings and disposed between said spaced-apart lips and said clip tongues also project through said partition openings to interlock said post and partition.

8. A shelving assembly according to claim 1, including a vertical partition having openings overlying said post openings and said clip tongues also project through said partition openings to interlock said posts and partition.

9. A shelving assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said support posts comprises an angle member having a pair of flanges disposed normal to one another. 

